verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:AH2 N D ER0 P EY1
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To pay (someone) less than the value of their work; to pay (someone) insufficiently.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: misremunerate, mispay
2
verb
Meaning 2
To pay less than is due for (something).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
The underpaid letter was returned to the sender.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
pay too little
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: overpay
Broader terms: pay
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1én Proto-Indo-European *h1entér Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dhí Proto-Indo-European *-ér Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dhér Proto-Germanic *under Proto-West Germanic *undar Old English under- Middle English under- English under- English pay English underpay From under- + pay.
Across languages
Translations
14 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
плащам недостатъчно
(plaštam nedostatǎčno)
— to pay someone less than the value of their work
Chinese Mandarin:
付給......過低的錢 /付给......过低的钱
(fùgěi ... guò dī de qián)
— to pay someone less than the value of their work
Chinese Mandarin:
苛扣......工資 /苛扣......工资
(kē kòu ... gōngzī)
— to pay someone less than the value of their work
Dutch:
onderbetalen
— to pay someone less than the value of their work
Finnish:
maksaa liian pientä palkkaa
— to pay someone less than the value of their work
French:
sous-payer
— to pay someone less than the value of their work
German:
unterbezahlen
— to pay someone less than the value of their work
Hungarian:
alulfizet
— to pay someone less than the value of their work
Italian:
sottopagare
— to pay someone less than the value of their work
Japanese:
十分に払わない
(jūbin ni harawanai)
— to pay someone less than the value of their work
Polish:
niedopłacać
— to pay someone less than the value of their work
Polish:
niedopłacić
— to pay someone less than the value of their work
Russian:
недопла́чивать
(nedopláčivatʹ)
— to pay someone less than the value of their work
Russian:
недоплати́ть
(nedoplatítʹ)
— to pay someone less than the value of their work